Soldato
Yeah the v60 dripper. This maybe my lack of knowledge and experience but what is the difference between the 2 then? I only really drink white coffee/americanos so am I wasting my money on a espresso machine?
Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread
- Thread starter Siliconslave
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Man of Honour
Well, decent coffee beans freshly ground will produce very good results in a V60. What kind of beans do you use and what is your technique?
Using the espresso machine to make espresso and then adding hot water to make an americano will also be delicious and produce better results for some coffees (see above).
Soldato
I get beans from Hasbean on a monthly subscription, grind enough for one cup and put in the filter paper in the dripper. Cover grinds with just enough hot water and then top up once it’s dripped through. Not sure if there’s anything else I should be doing?
Man of Honour
Sounds like a reasonable approach. There's slightly more faffy ways to do it but what you're doing is fine.
Rather than the subscription it could be worth choosing specific ones that have cupping notes that match your preferred coffee flavours. Apart from that I'm not sure what else to suggest really.
The espresso machine will do a good job so if you want to go that route I wouldn't shy away from it. That particular Sage is good enough that you won't feel the urge to upgrade it any time soon either
Associate
We've just purchased a De'Longhi ECAM44.660.B Eletta Bean to Cup Coffee Machine. Loving the coffee that it produces, much better than the Dolce Gusto machine it replaced. The bean to cup function is working well. We're making two extra long coffees which we find it fills a standard sized mug.
Using pre ground however, is proving to be a pain. We're using Harrods Knightsbridge blend. I'm finding that to get it to fill a full mug I'm selecting Extra Long 2 cups but the machine is requiring an additional scoop of coffee half way through making the coffee which is annoying as you can't just leave it. I've tried using just a single cup extra long but it's a pitifully small portion. This is our first B2C machine so I'm not sure I'm using it correctly? The instructions manual does say that if making a mug of ground coffee that you need to refill coffee grounds midway through making but it just seems excessive.
Using pre ground however, is proving to be a pain. We're using Harrods Knightsbridge blend. I'm finding that to get it to fill a full mug I'm selecting Extra Long 2 cups but the machine is requiring an additional scoop of coffee half way through making the coffee which is annoying as you can't just leave it. I've tried using just a single cup extra long but it's a pitifully small portion. This is our first B2C machine so I'm not sure I'm using it correctly? The instructions manual does say that if making a mug of ground coffee that you need to refill coffee grounds midway through making but it just seems excessive.
Associate
Sadly, neither. I think it's just a case of this machine wants to dispense smaller portions then we are used to. I think if we used coffee cups instead of generic mugs it would be less of an issue. Our mugs take nearly 375ml. Seems most coffee cups are 250ml.
Soldato
I think jpaul is referring to the use of pre ground in a bean to cup being that a bean to cup machine is designed to be used with erm beans 
Does yours not have the filter coffee button, my wife loves that, proper full mug.
My favourite is the doppio+ nice and strong can then top up with hot water.
Mines the 29.620.
Associate
I think jpaul is referring to the use of pre ground in a bean to cup being that a bean to cup machine is designed to be used with erm beans
Ah! Fair enough! We've had a Dolce Gusto machine so new to all this. My plan was to have a decent every day bean and a few different types of pre ground.
Sadly, We don't have the Doppio+ option. So do you typically top up a coffee with hot water?
Not always depends if I want a longer drink. Often the standard standard is just right.
Soldato
Anyone have any experience with the Nuova simonelli oscar 2 machines? Contemplating getting one maybe February time.
Gone from a Gaggia Baby to Rancilio Silvia and currently a Jura B2C, which im not particularly fond of, and for the price i can sell at should be able to afford the above.
Gone from a Gaggia Baby to Rancilio Silvia and currently a Jura B2C, which im not particularly fond of, and for the price i can sell at should be able to afford the above.
I had contemplated an Oscarii before getting a 2nd hand Bezzera HX model, the O2 volumetric capability looked good (EDIT wrong apparently timer based like BE), and Seattle utube review,
with euro they must be expensive now, before brexit had been ~£400 direct from recommend Italy supplier (my earlier posts)
The model must have had some long term user reviews now too, to see if reliability, electronics in particular, is as good as original oscar. (coffeeforums ?)
Do they take a standard portafilter size now ? personally the steam power and temperature stability definitely proved better on an hx.
If they are ~£600 now I might be looking instead for a used e61 hx machine, I like the pre-infusion capability, but never tried one first hand
with euro they must be expensive now, before brexit had been ~£400 direct from recommend Italy supplier (my earlier posts)
The model must have had some long term user reviews now too, to see if reliability, electronics in particular, is as good as original oscar. (coffeeforums ?)
Do they take a standard portafilter size now ? personally the steam power and temperature stability definitely proved better on an hx.
If they are ~£600 now I might be looking instead for a used e61 hx machine, I like the pre-infusion capability, but never tried one first hand
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Just bought this grinder. I managed to snatch it for circa £140 with the recent eBay 20% off. It's being delivered this week at some point so hopefully it's a step up from what I'm used to at the moment.
I'm using this DeLonghi machine with this grinder and the results are inconsistent. Sometimes I grind the beans to what the grinder suggests is a fine grind and the machine simply won't push water through.
What machine would you guys recommend? I do fancy a used SAGE dual boiler (one recently went for £500 on eBay, a far-cry from the new price), but I'm also fancying the Rancillio Silvia too.
I'm using this DeLonghi machine with this grinder and the results are inconsistent. Sometimes I grind the beans to what the grinder suggests is a fine grind and the machine simply won't push water through.
What machine would you guys recommend? I do fancy a used SAGE dual boiler (one recently went for £500 on eBay, a far-cry from the new price), but I'm also fancying the Rancillio Silvia too.
Soldato
Rancillio Silvia owner here. It's good but it does have its issues if you want good espresso out of it, it's thermostat can vary the water temperature by quite a lot & that is important for good espresso. I fitted a PID to mine which has resolved this issue. Some of the Sage's have a PID Built in so it doesn't have the same issues as the Silvia. Have a read of this:
http://www.brian-coffee-spot.com/2017/03/25/sage-barista-express/
Your Grinder will be a step up from what you have but I'm not certain it will be enough for what you want out of a machine. The one star reviews on the rainforest & other places in the internet put me off buying one, so I ended up buying a Eureka Mignon which seems to work well with the Silvia & it looks as though it will be built to last.
http://www.brian-coffee-spot.com/2017/03/25/sage-barista-express/
Your Grinder will be a step up from what you have but I'm not certain it will be enough for what you want out of a machine. The one star reviews on the rainforest & other places in the internet put me off buying one, so I ended up buying a Eureka Mignon which seems to work well with the Silvia & it looks as though it will be built to last.
Associate
Hoping to become a Silvia owner as soon as I find a nice second-hand V3 for sale, planning to add a PID and a Mignon grinder. I've owned a Nespresso machine for a while now, and while I appreciate the convenience when leaving for work very early, taste wise it's just leaving me a little unsatisfied lately and I find myself using a Moka pot where I have a little more time to spare.
just remembered (UK based) Fracino too, they have not be mentioned recently, but they have an oscar & silvia competitor bambino/piccino.
which did you go for ?
I had liked mecoffee, if not going down the full microcontroller development kit route.
Thanks for the link, I'll take a read through that now.
Hmm, not sure whether or not it's worth returning the SAGE grinder then, but it does have decent reviews (and every grinder seems to suffer from bad reviews here and there).
Soldato
Our Sage Barista Express should be arriving tomorrow. Excited!